CHRAJ investigates Akufo-Addo’s nominee for Gender Ministry over conflict of interest

The Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) has commenced investigations into conflict of interest allegations levelled against Deputy Gender Minister-designate, Francisca Oteng-Mensah.

This comes after a resident of Nima in Accra by name, Ismail Mohammed, petitioned CHRAJ to look into the Minister-designate’s violation of Article 284 of the 1992 Constitution and Section

Read full article7 of the NYA Act in approving COVID-19 campaign.

Francisca Oteng-Mensah who is the board chairman of the National Youth Authority is said to have used her influence as director and shareholder of Adonko Bitters Limited to approve a procurement of sanitizers, amounting to GHC¢700,000 for the said company which reportedly belongs to her father.

Ms Oteng-Mensah is alleged to have supervised the board to pay ¢700,000 to Adonko Company Ltd – which is also a subsidiary of the Angel Group of Companies.

Per documents from the Registrar General’s Department, Adonko Bitters Limited has 9 directors, including the lawmaker and her father, Kwaku Oteng, the fourthestate reports.

In April 2020, an amount of GH¢3 million was allocated to the National Youth Authority as part of its ‘COVID-19 Youth Campaign’ for the donation of assorted essential medical logistics to the Ministry of Health. The items included goggles, personal protective equipment (PPEs) and hand sanitisers.

This was after 14 out of the 15 board members of the institution approved an amount in a Zoom meeting

That meeting had the board chairperson, Francisca Oteng Mensah; the CEO, Sylvester Tetteh; and a Deputy Executive Director of the National Service Secretariat, Henry Nana Boakye, in attendance, thefourthestate reports.

Three board members, Joshua Makubu, now the Oti Regional Minister; Henry Nana Boakye, now the New Patriotic Party’s National Organiser; and Theodora Williams Anti, now the Acting Executive Director Foundation for Security and Development in Africa (FOSDA), supported the management’s proposal.


The Board Chairperson called for a voice vote on the matter.

“Majority of the members voted for the approval of ¢3 million for management to undertake various activities towards the fight against COVID-19, with no indication of dissension,” the minutes said.

However, a member of the board, Emmanuel Yao Dormenya, asked for more than approval. He suggested that “management should submit [a] budget to the finance committee for scrutiny.”

But Francisca Oteng-Mensah shot the idea down, thefourthestate added.

“The Chairman in view of the exigency of the request directed the CEO to present regular updates on the activities on the board’s page and a comprehensive report to the board on the outcomes of the lined-up activities under the programme during the subsequent meeting,” the board minutes indicated.

NYA/WA